FERC chairman says proposal updates blanket certificate program to speed pipeline expansion

Chairman Sweat said at an open Federal Energy Regulatory Commission meeting that the agency proposed updates to the gas pipeline blanket certificate program aimed at clearing the way for pipeline expansion while preserving full review for projects the commission deems high risk. "Our proposal is grounded in thousands of hours of experience and thousands of cases and an eye toward providing what we believe is a legally defensible approach in court," he said.

The proposal, which Chairman Sweat described as part of a suite of blanket authorizations that also touches LNG and hydro facilities, does not include a cost cap for compression changes at existing facilities as drafted. Maya Weber of Platts asked whether the absence of a cap could permit very large compressor upgrades without consideration of environmental impacts; Sweat replied that the text currently contains no cost cap and emphasized that the proposal is a notice-and-comment proceeding. "This is indeed a proposal, and we will continue to collect a record here and make an informed decision when we issue our final determination," he said.

Separately, Tom Tieran of the Energy Daily asked whether related final rules might be implemented ahead of winter to address gas-electric coordination and shoulder‑period reliability. Chairman Sweat said the commission is hopeful industry will implement needed changes quickly and offered FERC's technical expertise. "It's very clear that our markets between gas and electricity are tightening their relationship," he said, adding the agency will seek to ensure transparency, well‑functioning markets and reliability.

The commission opened the meeting to questions and indicated staff will continue gathering a record through the rulemaking process. No vote on the blanket proposal was recorded at the open session; staff questions on background were scheduled to follow.